Embers
by valagator
Summary: Remember how Zane sacrificed himself in 'Rebooted? What if it wasn't Zane who gave his life? What if it was another ninja? (contains Greenflame. DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T LIKE SAD STORIES!) * COMPLETED *
1. Ashes

"The armor! Why isn't it working?" Cole asks, panicking along with the rest of us.  
"Because.. Your time is over!" The Overlord exclaims with glee. I jump out of the way of the golden tentacles, infused with Lloyd's power, that is holding my other friends in a vice grip. I make a split second decision. One that I know will probably end my life.  
"Support me, guys, for one last time." I say to them, before jumping off of the rooftop onto Jay's legs, which propel me to Cole's then skipping over Zane's and going to Sensei's. I push off as hard as I can, and ricochet into the air as high as I can go, before clamping onto the Overlord's golden armor. This is the most intense pain I have ever felt. It feels like my insides are being slowly melted.  
"Let... my friends... go..." I say with the last of my ability. This hurts so much that I can hardly hold on.  
"Go where, doomed ninja?" He quiets down, watching my pain with obvious delight as I scream, and my strength nearly fails me.  
"The golden weapons are too powerful for you to behold! Your survival chance is ZERO!" He yells. As one of my last acts of defiance, I say something I had said before. Something that I will always hold with me in battle, even if I'm gone.  
"This isn't about numbers. It's about family." I say. I notice the golden orbs coming back to aid the Overlord in getting rid of me. The lines drop to the ground, and my friends, too.  
My heart is going a million miles per hour, trying to keep me alive for as long as possible.  
"Uhh. He's not letting go!" I hear Lloyd say in the background, though I hardly notice it.  
"His heart! It's going to over work!" I hear Jay yell with fear overtaking his voice.  
"If his heart overworks, he'll die! He'll never survive!" I hear Cole say.  
"Let go of him, Kai! What is he doing?" I hear Zane say with heartbreak clear in his robotically tinged voice.  
"He's protecting us!" I hear Sensei tell them.  
"I... Am a ninja... And ninja never quit!" I struggle out, trying to control my irrational breathing and racing heart. "Go ninja... GO!" I yell to them, before shooting a beam of pure heat and flame into the Overlord's chest, causing molten metal and ash to go everywhere.  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU FOOL!" The Overlord yells, staggering back.  
"No, Kai... NOOO!" Jay screams.  
"We have to get out of here, NOW!" Sensei urges them, probably bringing them underground.  
I struggle to hold the beam, screwing my eyes shut, and hearing the sounds of the Overlord's struggle to stop my power. I hear a voice... I don't know if I imagined it... but it sounded like Lloyd... saying 'no' in a heartbroken voice.  
I close my eyes again, trying to clear my head, and ignore the pain... trying to recall what I've done... the friends I've made... the people I've changed... who I've become.  
I remember my father's blacksmith shop where Sensei found me... I was so naive back then. I thought that everything could be accomplished quickly an easily. I couldn't have been more wrong. I thought that the world revolved around me, that I always had to E in the spotlight, and be flawless. I remember meeting Sensei... how I was so rude to him. He saved me while my sister was taken...  
I remember my first days of training, meeting Jay, Cole and Zane, and becoming family, learning spinjitzu, fighting the serpentine... fighting Lloyd.  
I remember finding my true potential... Either the life of a human or the fang blade... how saving Lloyd made me realize that enemies can become friends.  
I smile, through the pain, as I recall the wary years, sounds of the dying Overlord and my astronomical pain dulled by the memories.  
I recall defeating lord Garmadon, and the Great Devourer, losing the golden weapons and Garmadon creating the mega weapon.  
I remember turning into kids, and Lloyd sacrificing his childhood to save us from the grundle. What is it that he said?  
 _"Fair? Fair isn't a word where I come from."_ I whisper.  
I remember Nya turning evil, and the clock striking zero on the island, and Lloyd defeating the Overlord the first time... How I was jealous that Lloyd had all the power... that I wasn't in the spotlight anymore.  
A single tear slips down my face as I feel that I'm slipping out of consciousness. I let go when I use the last of my power to destroy the Overlord, once and for all. And with that, I fall into the unknown.

Hey guys! I hope you like this story so far! Just to warn you, I'll be trying to update at least every two weeks, but I don't know if I'll be able to keep that promise XD! Thanks to my friend OtakuDemonOfBlue (I'm thanking her so much lately XD thank god for Skype, or you guys probably wouldn't have this story) for reading through the beginning and giving me the okay. PEACE AND PIZZA MY ALIGATOR SQUAD!


	2. Flames

Lloyd~

I hate this. This wasn't Kai's fight. We let him die. We let him burn.  
We climb out of the sewer, finding the power out and the streets covered with ash and molten metal. The Overlord's giant helmet lays in a pile of smoldering debris, and we all look around for Kai.  
I look around the street, before hearing a small whimper coming from Cole. I walk over to him, and tearing up at what I see in his hand. Cole is holding a smoldering red face mask: Kai's mask.  
Nya walks over, and when she sees it, she breaks down, crying hysterically into Cole's shoulder. I can tell that he's trying his best to not cry along with her.

 _"I used to think technology would be the answer to all of our problems..."_

"But then, I saw technology invent new problems: devastating problems. And then, a ninja named Kai saved us all. He understood the balance between us, and technology, even if no one would listen to him. He taught us that life, should be a balance. Technology can improve our lives, but so can people, and that if we focus on one at the expense of the other, that's when the balance is off. Our city WILL find it's way again, but this time, with Kai as our compass. With that, I give to you.."  
Cyrus takes the tarp off of the statue at Kai's memorial. We are all here, forlorn over the loss of our brother. People sit in the seats, crying over a lost hero, a lost friend.  
"The Fire ninja." The tarp is thrown, and we see a faceless statue of Kai, made out of red tinted glass, looking up to the heavens. My eyes are watering as I look to the ninja I was most connected to... The one who understood me most.  
"So... What happens after this?" Nya asks sadly.  
"I... Don't know." Cole says, forlornly. Zane just shakes his head sadly.  
"And I don't care. Today is about Kai." Jay says.  
"And now, Lloyd would like to speak... for those who... knew him best." Cyrus says, moving to the side. I rise and climb the stairs onto the stage.  
"Everyone wondered what drove Kai. He never told us, so I don't know if we'll ever know. I'd like to think it was love. Love for his fellow man, even when things weren't going his way. Because he drove ME." I see Jay looking down, blinking tears from his eyes. "And he'll STILL drive me, as his memory lives on. Ninja never quit, and ninja will never be forgotten." I look up to the now cloudy sky. "Wherever you are, Kai, you'll always be one of us." I finish.  
Just then, I see a small ember falling from the sky. And another... Soon thousands of small embers are raining around the memorial. Not catching anything on fire, just showing us that Kai is with us; that he'll ALWAYS be with us. I walk off the stage, and rejoin my friends.  
"Cole..." I say softly. Cole nods, and hands me the small glass box. I carry it up to the statue, and put it on the pedestal, and kneel. The other ninja follow my example, along with the rest of the crowd.  
"He was a true hero..." I hear Jay's mom say.  
"He had so much more to give." I hear Dareth say.  
"He will be greatly missed by all." I hear my father say. I rise to my feet, leaving the box containing the piece of Kai we have left: his last battle... his mask. It holds his blood, sweat and tears... His devotion... his scars. We all hold scars, we all hold regret.  
I start filing out with everyone else, Zane with his arm slung around my slumped shoulders.  
"We will all get through this together, brothers." Zane says to us.  
"Kai wouldn't want us to let him slow us down... We have to keep going... for him." Cole says sadly.  
"Let's just... Go back to the bounty. I think we all need some time to think." Sensei says. I nod to him, before slipping from Zane's grasp and moving to my Mother and Father.  
"What do I do?" I ask them.  
"Keep moving." My mother says.  
"Kai was our guiding light, and he will never go out, even if he has dimmed." My dad says sadly. "I will miss him greatly. He saved you... when I couldn't."  
We reach the bounty, and all go off to dude rent rooms. I go straight to the deck and start pounding the punching bag until my knuckles are split and bleeding. I lean my forehead on the dummy, and finally let my tears out that I had been holding in all day.  
"We won't forget you." I say quietly between sobs. "I won't. I promise."

/

10 pudding points if you know what song I referenced in this chapter! I hope you know when I strayed, and made it longer. I wanted to add that part at the end to make it longer. PEACE AND PIZZA MY LITTLE ALLIGATORS!


	3. Fists

I'm not following the plot exactly from here. This is where I make it my own.

It's been a few months without the fire ninja. A horrible few months. Despite our best efforts to stay together, we just don't feel whole without the spiky haired brunette. We've all kind of drifted apart. Of course, we all still live on the bounty... we all still train... But without our fire, we don't have the power to go on the way we were.  
Jay has gotten himself a game show, Cole is up in the trees as a lumberjack, and Zane is working as a chef in a restaurant called 'Master Chen's'. I'm the only one still here... The only one who hasn't moved on. I can't bring myself to look at his empty bunk every morning, to not hear his ridiculous jokes, and to not feel his optimism.  
My mother, father and uncle worry about me... And the other ninja, too. I can't function without my drug. Kai was my drug, and now I'm going through a withdrawal.  
"Lloyd?" My father places his hand on my shoulder, giving me a once over. "Why are you doing this to yourself?" It's true. I have been neglecting myself... Eating no more than 2 meals per day, sometimes not eating at all. Going days without sleep.  
"I don't know." I honestly tell him. "I can't shake the feeling..."  
"That he's still alive." My father finishes for me. I nod with my eyes closed, still facing the mirror on the back of the bunk room door.  
"What's going on?" Cole asks, walking into the room and wiping his sweaty forehead.  
"Nothing." I say dejectedly, knowing that he wouldn't understand, just like all the others, except for my father and uncle. Cole just gives me a sad smile and walks into the bathroom to take a shower.  
"Dad. I just... I can't go on without him! It's like there's a hole in my heart..." I say, my eyes tearing up. I bang my fist on the door.  
"Lloyd, Kai wouldn't want this." He says. That's when I explode.  
"HOW DO YOU KNOW?!" He is taken back. "YOU DON'T KNOW HIM LIKE I DO!" I bring my volume down. "He was the only one to understand my pain when I was without you, the one who has saved my life on multiple occasions, the one who has shared all of his struggles with me and me only, and I shared mine back. I... I loved him. And I still do love him, and I will never stop loving him." I say, finishing my speech.  
"I get it. I'll just leave you to it. But the others told me of their plan to go out to dinner tonight at that restaurant Zane works at. I suggest you join them." He says, before walking out of the room.

*time skip brought to you by vanilla flavored bleach*

"Haha! Yeah I know! That lady absolutely sucked!" Jay laughs, talking about the latest consent ant on his show.  
"Jay, I think only you, me, Lloyd, Zane and K-" He trails off "A-and Sensei could do that course." He finishes.  
"Yeah..." Jay replies back. I just stay silent. We walk through the doors, the little bell jingling.  
"Hello, friends!" Zane greets us, since he had just gotten off his shift he just stayed and waited for us.  
"Hey Zane!" I say, trying to put some happiness into my voice.  
"Let's get some grub. I'm starving!" Jay says. We sit in a booth next to the food conveyor belt.  
"Soo. Guys..." Cole starts nervously. "I was thinking... Maybe we should think about adding someone new to our team..."  
"WHAT?!" Jay says.  
"ARE YOU CRAZY?" I yell, hurt that he could even think about that.  
"COME ON, KAI IS IRREPLACEABLE!" Zane says exasperated.  
"I care for him too... But now it's time to start caring about this team." He tries to reason, but I won't hear it.  
"Maybe without Kai, there is no team." I say dejectedly. Just then, I hear the little bell ring, and some deep laughter. Jay looks out of the booth toward the desk.  
"Uh, don't look now, but we got trouble!" Jay says. The thugs start taking things out of the register, and throw the cashier into the conveyor belt, laughing maniacally.  
"Okay, now they're our problem." Zane says, and we all get up. I lean up against the wall.  
"Ahem." Cole clears his throat. "Don't you know it's impolite to touch someone else's food?" He says. The thugs look confused.  
"I'd listen to him if I were you. He's no fun to be around when he's hangry." I say. One thug steps forward and tried to punch Cole, but he blocks it with his chopsticks. I jump onto the belt, kicking bowls of noodles into one of the thug's faces.  
"Okay I admit: we make a pretty good team." I say.  
While we're fighting, I hear Cole say "How can you walk away from this?" We keep fighting, and eventually, the thugs go out the back door.  
"They're getting away!" Jay says. We all run after them.  
When we get outside, the thugs are nowhere to be seen. On the opposite side, however, there is a small shrine looking thing. We walk up to it, and there is a paper there, attached to the wall by a knife. On the paper is a picture of Kai.  
I tear the paper down, and look at it.  
"What does it say?" Cole asks.  
"It says..." I start reading it, and my heart swells with joy. "He's alive." The others cheer.  
"Look!" Jay says.  
"Fortune cookies?" Zane asks. Cole picks one up and eats it, without taking the fortune out.  
"Uh, you know there's a fortune INSIDE the cookie, right?" I tell him.  
"Ohhh so that's why it's called... Ohhh." He says. We all open our cookies reading the messages out loud.  
"You are hereby invited to Master Chen's tournament of Elements." I read.  
"Wait, you mean to say that mister Chen, the same one filling my stomach with noodle goodness, is actually Master Chen?" Cole says.  
"Secrecy is of the utmost importance. Tell no one or suffer the consequences." Zane reads.  
"If you ever want to see your friend again, meet at the dock at midnight and leave your weapons behind" Jay reads. Just then, the paper explodes, then the others, we all look to Cole, and he burps an explosion, and lands on his butt.  
"Well, at least I know I was invited." He joked, trying to lighten the mood. All laugh except for me.  
"It could be a trap; a trick to lure us in." Zane says.  
"But what if it's not? What if Kai's ALIVE?" Jay asks.  
"We'll just shave to wait and see." I say. I can't believe it. I could see Kai again! He could be alive! My heart leaps. Nothing will stop me. I will find you.

Kai~  
 _'What the hell happened?'_


	4. Waves

"Ugh! I told you we shouldn't have worn them!" Cole says as we stand on the dock, following the fortune cookie's instructions. It's midnight. We look around to see a man in white, a girl in green, and a man with skin as gray as smoke.  
"The tournament of Elements. Do you think they all have powers like us?" Zane asks. I recall my conversation with my father from earlier

~flashback brought to you by Baka Lloyd Captain of Soup~

"Dad... Our Elemental power... are there others out there with powers like us?" I ask, trying to get as much information as possible without giving us away.  
"Why would you ask?" His tone is suddenly serious.  
"No reason." I say, turning away. "It was just in my mind." Just like a certain red ninja that I plan to save. My father looks at me with anger on his face. His eyes flash to the takeout box next to my bed. His expression hardens. I start to sweat, thinking that he may have found out. "Well, gotta go! Early bird gets the worm!" I say with as much pep as I can muster. The second I'm out the door, I realize that I had left my rod inside. I mentally face palm.

~flashback OVAH~

"When I asked my dad about it, he got really suspicious... Like there's something he's hiding from me." I say the last part with anger. Anger at myself for being so blind as to believe that we were the only ones with power, and at my father for not telling us.  
"The cookie said tell no one or else there'd be consequences." Cole points out.  
"Relax! We're c-cool" I say with completely fake confidence. All I can think about is Kai's face... It's throwing me off. I have to stay on guard... For him... For me... For the others. My mind is set.  
A ship's horn sounds as the steam boat comes to shore. The gangplank is dropped, and a man in a gaudy purple outfit walks over to us from the boat.  
"We don't know yet if this is a trap... Wherever they take us, we have to stick together. No secrets, we can't afford to have blackmail to give to other contestants. We're here for one reason and one reason only." I tell them. They nod in response. _'Oh god. He's so close! I.. NO LLOYD! STAY FOCUSED!' I think._  
We walk up to the boat, and Jay is the first to pass the man.  
"Master Chen will be charmed that you accepted his invitation. A master of Spinjitzu shall fare favorably in his tournament." The man says.  
"Hey! We're not here to fight!we're here to save a friend." Jay says defensively. I would be mad at him for giving away our purpose, but I'm guessing that this man already knows about Kai. If they hurt him...  
"Mmm don't be so petty, master Jay. Everyone has something to fight for." The man declares, pulling Jay's nunchucks out of his bag. Jay's already labeled a troublemaker, I'm sure of it now, for trying to sneak in a weapon. And of course, he tries to use a stupid cover up. How did he become a ninja, anyway?  
"Haha, chopsticks.. I-I'm a big eater!" He says. The man simply throws the nunchucks overboard. "Huh.." Jay then walks on board, along with the others. I am the last one.  
"Lloyd! Wait!" I hear a voice say from behind me. It's my father. "If you get on that boat, you may never return."  
"What are you doing here, Dad?" I ask him.  
"Master Chen is a dangerous man who should never be trusted!" He says. I understand that. I DO! I just want my fire back! IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK? "Whatever he promised you, do not believe him!" He stresses.  
"Lord Garmadon. It's been a while. It's.. Sensei now? I can't remember." The man says, turning away and back to the boat, climbing across the plank.  
"Clouse." I guess we know his name, now. "I see Master Chen still has you running his errands." My father retorts.  
"I have to go, dad. This is about Kai!" I say, trailing off. "I-It's about family." I express. I can tell he sees how broken I am, basically a bottle smashed on the side of a highway. He knows I need Kai back.  
I continue. "If we're ever going to be whole again," If **I'M** ever going to be whole again. "I need to get on that ship." I say.  
"Last call." Clouse says, smugly. "Are you in... or out?" He asks, though it seems more like a statement. I turn to the ship, away from my father and walking across the gangplank.  
"I can't stop you, son... Good luck." He says to me, with fear in his eyes as the ship pulls away, separating me from my father once again.

Hope you like! PEACE AND PIZZA MY LITTLE ALLIGATORS!


	5. Blood

(This is the longest chapter I've written for any of m stories. 2,119 words! That's longer than some people's full multichaps! *mind=Blown*)

* * *

~skip to after boat ride brought to you by orange flavored bleach~

We walk off the ship into the most impressive place I've ever seen. A grand palace is straight in front of us, with a huge grand staircase, all in purples and reds.  
"Welcome, to Chen's island." Clouse announces "The tournament of Elements welcome it's... Brave fighters."  
"How is it that we're on an island I've never seen on any map?" I ask. No one answers.  
"And care to explain how Ninjago's most popular noodle house is secretly assembling an underground fight club?" Cole asks.  
"According to mine and P.I.X.A.L's research, it seems that Master Chen was once a friend, but is now an enemy. During the Serpentine wars, Chen turned, and sided with the treacherous snakes." Zane explains.  
"The war that my father and Uncle Wu fought together in? He was an enemy?" I ask.  
"Precisely. He used deception to divide the elemental masters. In a deal for his surrender, he was forced to never leave this island. Little did anyone know, he would begin to build his criminal empire from here." He says while we walk up the ornate staircase, nodding his head quickly.  
"He may have divided our ancestors, but he's not gonna divide us." I say with certainty. There is nothing in this world that could cause me to turn on my brothers. I've already lost one brother, and I'm lucky enough to have a chance of getting him back. I won't lose any more.  
A girl in a hood walks past us, smiling at me in almost a... creepy way. I decide it's best not to make trouble where it's not needed, so I don't confront her.  
"This is a big island. Kai could be... anywhere. Keep an eye out." Cole points out.  
The gates open to reveal a large courtyard, with a beautifully designed purple carpet going up the middle. On either side of the carpet are men banging on timpani (a type of drum) and chanting, all clad in identical purple robes.  
"So this is the house that noodles built. I've always wanted to go to a red carpet event!" Jay says, trying to lighten the mood.  
"Chen lives like a king. Here's he is totally self-sufficient. The only way on or off this island is with his permission, which you have to earn." Zane explains.  
"How do you know this stuff, Zane?" Jay asks.  
"P.I.X.A.L. and I are a walking computer together." He says, once again not getting the joke. Kai's in there somewhere. Kai is so close... I'm potentially within a few MILES of him! That is, if this isn't a cruel trick...  
We file into a large foyer, and it in a circle along with the other fighters around a large, red circular rug. I can't stop thinking. I remember that my father had a tattoo on his back of a snake... I saw a nearly identical pattern and ink color on the arm of one of the guards... All of the guards have similar tattoos... Maybe... Chen was my father's Sensei...  
Jay taps me on the shoulder, pulling me out of my thoughts.  
"Hey, lighten up, green bean! We're in an underground fight club! This is SUPPOSED to be fun!" Jay says, trying to cheer me up.  
Just then, a guard hits a gong, and really stupid announcing music begins to play. Clouse steps onto a raised bit of floor.  
"All rise for Master Chen." He says, gesturing to a dark place in the ceiling. All of the others rise along with me, following Clouse's order. From the ceiling drops a huge, overly decorated throne, being lowered by ropes. In the throne sits a man in THE ugliest robes I have ever seen.  
"Welcome.. To the Tournament of Elements!" Ugh, even his voice is annoying. "Now, everyone can all DIE!" We all gasp as the doors swing closed with a dramatic 'thump'. "Rect your attention to me!" He says, laughing like an idiot.  
"This guy must really like theatrics." Cole whispers to me.  
"Hehehe! Never before have so many elemental fighters been gathered under one roof!" He says, getting up from his throne and walking out amongst us. "I see master of ice, earth, shadow, speed..." He says, looking around the room. When his eyes rest on me, a twisted smile erupts from his face. "Even a prophesied green savior." He says, his cold glare staying on me. He turns away, looking at the gong. "This symbol before you is the sign of the Anochondrai. Fiercest serpentine warriors in all the land. It's meaning: only one can remain." Only one can remain, huh? Well five are getting out of here.  
The gong is struck, and it's thick sound fills the air. The gong cracks, and there stand the brackets of fighters.  
"Good. Looks like we're each in our own bracket." Jay says, relieved. "We won't have to face each other for a while."  
"Better find Kai before that happens." I say quietly.  
"Behold..." Chen gestures to Clouse, who pulls an ornate aqua colored blade. "A jade blade! Here, it represents life! Obtain it, move on. Allow your opponent to take it... LOSER!" He says, cackling. I seriously hate this guy. Not only is he standing in my way of getting Kai, but he is also just extremely aggravating. "The rules are simple: each round will be different! No two fights will be the same!" He says while walking around the room, getting in everyone's faces. "Your powers will keep you in the tournament. Use it or lose it!" He uses grand hand gestures, but I swear he is looking right at me.  
"Hmm what does Karloff win?" A big man with a Russian accent asks.  
"Win, and stay on the island. Win it all, and receive fortunes beyond your wildest dreams, and lifetime supply of Master Chen noodles!" He says. "But no one is here because of noodles!" Except for Cole. "You want the glory of being the greatest fighter, in ALL OF NINJAGO!" The crowd cheers.  
"And, what if we lose?" Zane asks.  
"Lose? Who here likes to lose?" He says, again looking at me. The crowd just laughs. "Now please, enjoy my island! It's a superfunhappyplace! Hahaha! Fun time on me!" He says.  
"You will now each be shown to your room." Clouse says, bored. Out of the doors come servants in some crazy makeup.  
"Ugh just what this place needs: creepy clowns." Jay says, obviously put off.  
"Not clowns. Kabuki. Chen's jesters." Zane says.  
"Uh, yeah whatever they are, I don't like them." Cole says. "So much for us staying together." He yells as he is lead away, along with everyone else, by the creepy servants. I, however, am still here. Clouse approaches me.  
"Master Chen would like to speak to you..." He say, a cold smile gracing his thin lips "alone."  
"Stay together, don't lose focus!" I yell up, hoping the others had heard me.  
Clouse grabs my arm roughly and leads me down a maze of hallways, not saying anything.  
"Uhmm... Do you mind telling me where you're taking me?" I ask nervously. He just continues on with his smile.  
"Be patient, master of energy." He says.  
"It's Lloyd." I tell him.  
"Be patient, master Lloyd." He says. After about another three minutes of walking, I see Chen up ahead.  
"Ahh, Lloyd. My dear boy!" He greets me cheerfully. Something is definitely up. "How is your father? You know, he used to be one of my students..." I knew it! "So sad that he decided to leave... He had such great potential. But we are not here to talk about your father!" He says, before turning to Clouse.  
"You may go now, Clouse. Make sure our... Guests are comfortable." He orders.  
"Yes, Master." Clouse bows, and walks away, leaving me with Mr. Noodle McCrayCray. _(A/N: I know this is supposed to be sad, but I just had to XD)_  
"Why did you call me here?" I ask him.  
"Follow me." He says, and I obey.

* * *

"You see, Lloyd.." Chen says, leading me down some stone steps, which greatly contrast the rest of his Palace. "I needed all the elemental fighters in one place for my competition. I knew getting the others here would be easy, but you ninja, you serve with honor. You needed a REASON to come here." We are still going down the same flight of stairs.  
"What does that have to do with anything?" I ask, getting frustrated.  
"It was a difficult job. There was just no reason GOOD enough. Until just a few months ago." I know what he is talking about. Kai... "When your fiery friend sacrificed himself to save Ninjago, he did die." My heart splits in two right there. Two power orbs start growing subconsciously from my hand. He just keeps walking. "But Clouse was on the mainland, preparing for the probable outcome of the Overlord taking over. I had already realized that I wanted this tournament, so he was getting word out to some of the first fighters." I want to punch him. I want to kick him, stab him, and gut his sorry ass.  
"WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?!" I yell, my voice broken, my eyes watering. He just keeps walking.  
"When the Overlord was defeated, and you underground, Kai hit the ground. Clouse picked up his dead body, and brought it back here." This is torture. "We debated upon what to do with him..." We reach the bottom of the stairs, and we're in a dank stone hallway, with puddles of old water everywhere. I don't even care where we're going anymore. I just want him to kill me already.  
"We decided to bring him back to life." This gets my attention. My spirits slowly rise.  
"So... He isn't... Dead?" I ask.  
"No, you silly ninja!" He laughs. We come upon a closed door with an iron grate window. "Take a look for yourself." I look in between the bars, and nearly scream in happiness. There he is, Kai.  
"KAI!" I yell. He doesn't stir. He is just lying limp in the shackles. My happiness turns to rage. "What's wrong with him!" I yell at Chen.  
"Relax, he's just in a coma. Would you like to go in?" He asks. I don't even have to think about it. I nod quickly, and return my shattered eyes to the door.  
"Yes..." I whisper.  
"Guard!" Chen yells demandingly. The guard standing next to the door quickly stands at attention.  
"Yes sir?" He asks.  
"Unlock the door for the Green Ninja and I." The guard obeys, and the door is opened.  
I don't hesitate to think that this may be a trap before running in. I drop to my knees before him, tears leaking from my eyes. His chest is rising and falling, and it's almost like it has gotten quicker since I kneeled down.  
"Oh, Kai! We've... I've missed you so much!" I say, taking his limp hand in my own.  
"Okay, I'm bored. Let me cut to the chase." Chen says. I turn back to him. I had almost forgotten that he was there. "The others are playing for money and fame in this tournament..." He leans against the wall, smiling coldly, seeming proud of himself. "You will be playing for something else..."  
"No..." I say, looking back at Kai's limp body, expressionless face... wait... it... isn't expressionless... it looks pained.  
"You will be playing for Kai's life." He says, taking a knife out of his pocket. (Trigger warning)  
He walks over to Kai, cutting a long, deep gash in his arm. To the untrained eye, he seems to not be effected. But to my eye, I see his beautiful face contort in pain: he's aware.  
"NO!" I yell. He just cackled wickedly.  
"There is more where that came from. Remember this Lloyd. If you're out, Kai's dead. Only ONE can remain. He says, dragging me out of the cell. I don't even fight back. If I do, Chen might hurt Kai more.  
As I'm being forced away, I swear I hear something...

~Kai

"Lloyd..." My arm hurts... My head hurts... but my heart beats faster than it has in months.

* * *

Hope you liked! I almost made this an intense cliffhanger! I didn't want to torture you THAT much, so I don't split it up. Anyway, PEACE AND PIZZA MY LITTLE ALLIGATORS! (If you haven't done so, please read OtakuDemonOfBlue's story Ninjago: A Jump Back Into Time! She is a great friend of mine, and she is a HUGE reason that this story is going so well!)


	6. Red

I walk back up the stairs from the basement, my mind spinning.  
'Kai, what have they done to you... what have they put you through...' I think. The voice of the person I hate most in the world brings me out of my thoughts of the fire master.  
"Well, Lloyd." Chen says. I look up, annoyed.  
"What." I say tartly, just wanting to get a plan underway with the other ninja.  
"Since you were down with me, to see your fire boy, the first trial has already started." Chen says, obviously trying to hold back his laughs. "There are..." Clouse comes walking toward us from the other end of the elegant hall. "Clouse, how many Jade Blades are left?"  
"I believe there are three, Master." He says.  
"Hahaha! Well you better get on your way, master of energy!" Chen says, and I run. In the background I hear Chen say to Clouse: "Move Kai to a different cell. I don't want Lloyd to be making any plans." But whatever Clouse replies, I don't hear because I have already sprinted around the corner to the great room.

* * *

Already in the Great Room are most of the other contestants, including Jay and Zane. They turn to me frantically.  
"Lloyd where have you been?" Jay asks.  
"Preoccupied." I say. I'll have to fill them in later. Just then, Cole comes running back into the room, with Griffin at his back, who is smiling broadly. Both are holding their Jade Blades up in pride.  
"Well you better be unoccupied now, because there's only one blade left!" Zane says. I run off to the courtyard.  
I when I walk into the yard, there, in all its glory, sits a Jade Blade, shimmering in the evening light. I run towards it as quickly as I can. Suddenly, another person appears, and when he sees me, he sprints for the blade as well. When we are about equidistant from the blade, we start circling and sizing eachother up.  
"This blade is Karloffs!" The man roars.  
"Not today, not ever..." I say quickly, but then more quietly, I say "You don't know what I'm fighting for." And soon we are fighting. I shoot a ball of energy toward him, which hits him. He staggers, but then composes himself. I can't bring myself to use my full power; it just doesn't feel right. But he doesn't seem to have any reservations in using his. Soon, our fists are flying. Barbarian against ninja. That's a new one.  
We keep going back and forth, his metal against my tightly wrapped fists. I get in a hit to his face, and I think I hear a crack. I stop for a second of guilt, before he rams me in the stomach with all of his strength, taking my breath away. I kick the blade away, and he lunges for it. I grab his foot and flip him the other way. I turn for the blade, but he is already up and dragging me back, hitting me in the temple. I feel dizzy...  
'I... can't lose.' I think as I get hit hard in the mouth. I feel blood trickling from my nose and mouth... And maybe my temple. That's it: no more nice guy.  
"I'm sorry." I say, before using almost my full power, which knocks him back, and drives him into the ground. I grab the Jade Blade, and book it to the Great Room.  
I can hardly stand when I arrive, and I stagger into the room with the blade gripped tightly in my hand. I can vaguely feel eyes on me, and almost feel Jay, Cole and Zane surrounding me; holding me on my feet.  
"It's almost over, Green Machine." I think Jay says. I honestly can't tell. My vision is tunneling so that the walk to the altar looks much longer than it is.  
"Do it for Kai." Cole says. That's all I need. I raise my head from the pain, pushing my friends away, determined to finish the walk alone. I think blood is dripping behind me, leaving a trail of red turning to brown. I step on the first stair, to the next. Just as I am on the last step, about to place the blade in the final place, I hear a bang.  
"That's not fair!" I hear a deep voice say. I can't turn around. I just place the blade in the altar, and look up to Chen's face. He looks surprised. And on that note, I collapse to the floor.

* * *

Cole~

Lloyd looks to Chen, a smug look on his bruised and bloody face, before collapsing to the ground.  
"Lloyd!" Jay yells in that high voice of his. I look to the red head frantically, seeing the panic in his lighting eyes, before turning back and sprinting to Lloyd's side.  
"He doesn't look too good.." Zane says.  
"Not important!" Chen says. I want to strangle him. "We have a loser!" He dramatically points to Karloff, who is desperately trying to convince people that he really did win; like Lloyd would ever cheat.  
"B-But.." Karloff stutters, but then sets himself again. "Fine. Karloff never wanted to be on stinking island." He seems to be convincing himself rather than convincing Chen, who is currently writhing in a fit of giggles.  
"Well, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your stay..." He says. Chen suddenly pulls a lever, causing Karloff to fall down the hole. He screams as he falls.  
"Damn.. I kinda hope he's okay..." Jay says. We are both leaning over Lloyd, and Jay's face is so close to mine, I can see the light spatter of freckles decorating his pale nose and cheeks. My face heats up.  
"We should get him to his room." Zane says, breaking the little staring contest I made with myself.  
"Yeah.. I really hope he's okay..." I say, before using my super strength and picking him up. I turn around and walk out, with Jay and Zane on my heels. Out of the corner of my eye, however, I swear I can see that mysterious girl with a crazed look on her face... and she's staring right at Lloyd in my arms.  
We walk up the stairs, and find Lloyd's room. Zane digs the key from Lloyd's pocket, (we were all given one) and unlocks the door. We walk in, and I put him on the green and gold bed. Zane immediately gets to work.  
"Jay, I need you to go get the first aid kit from the bathroom. There should be one behind the sink. Cole, get me a bowl of clean water."  
"Got it." Jay says, running into the bathroom. I start to follow, but change my mind.  
"Zane..." He looks up at me expectantly. "Is he going to be okay..." I say with my voice dripping with uncertainty.  
"Yes. He has no concussion, amazingly. He'll be fine when I fix him up." He smiles, and returns to work.  
"Here, Zane." Jay returns, throwing the red case onto the bed. As stupid as it seems, it makes me sad. Red just reminds me of my brother. But we'll find him; we have to. I run to the bathroom and take a plastic cup and fill it to the brim with water, and grab a towel on the way out. I move as fast as a ninja can go while holding a completely full cup of water.  
"Thanks." Zane cleans up the wounds, applies the bandages, and we all just wait.

~Time skip brought to you by Grape flavored bleach~

I've just about fallen asleep on this chair. It's been two hours, and Lloyd still hasn't woken up yet.  
"Cole?" I look up when I hear my name.  
"Yeah, Jay?" I answer.  
"What are we doing?" He asks, his voice empty. I sit up and look over to where he is draped over a neighboring chair.  
"What do you mean?" I ask him. He sits up to face me now.  
"I mean, here we are, chasing after someone who is probably dead, risking our lives in the process... I've already lost so much, Cole." His eyes are broken, the usual electricity coursing through them is dimmed, like this conversation hit a switch inside him.  
"Jay... I understand..." I want to spill my guts, and tell him everything I've been hiding. The marks hidden under layers of clothes that make me look stronger than I feel. The marks that took so much from me...  
"How can you understand?" He asks. I just stay silent to let him continue. "I was tormented when I was a kid about my background... I was told I would amount to nothing. When I found out that I was actually SOMETHING... It made me so happy..." He says, and he smiles a bit, recalling. "Then..." The smile melt off his face. "I found out that all of this power has come at a cost." He stands up, and I watch as he removes his shirt and turns around. On his back are etchings; they look like lightning bolts. "Each time I use too much power, this mark burns me... It feels like a thousand burning knives are being pushed in slowly at every inch. When I found my true potential, it was kind of just... there the next day. I guess it's a reminder of my vulnerability." He says "That's been difficult enough to deal with. But then Kai..." Pearl shaped tears drop from his eyes; he is unable to handle it anymore. I don't hesitate to get up and wrap my arms around him.  
"Jay... There's something I haven't told any of you..." He wipes his eyes and looks at me expectantly.  
"Well.." I start.  
"UGHH!" I hear. Jay and I release eachother.  
"Lloyd?" I say.  
"Y-yeah?" He answers. Yup, he's awake.  
"Jay, get Zane." I ask him. He nods and walks down the hall. Meanwhile, I kneel down beside the bed. "How ya feelin, greenie?" I ask him. He chuckles.  
"Like hell. But... I... have news." He says.  
"Okay. Let's wait for the others to come so you don't have to repeat yourself. You're tired enough as it is." I tell him. He nods and closes his eyes.  
"Lloyd, are you well?" I hear Zane's iconic voice from behind me.  
"Yeah. But I have news." He repeats.  
"Lay it on us!" Jay exclaims. It's like that whole emotionfest we had a few minutes ago never happened... no wonder he's hidden it so well.  
"Well..." He starts...

* * *

Hope you liked! This chapter was nice and long because I was really inspired! I snuck a bit of bruise shipping in there for ya! Idk if I'll actually make it a big thing since this is supped to be Greenflame, but I don't know, tell me what you think! GUYS THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR CHAPTER UPDATES FOLLOY THE INSTAGRAM BakaLloyd FOR CHAPTER UPDATES! PEACE AND PIZZA MY LITTLE ALLIGATORS!


	7. Electric

Lloyd~

"After you guys were taken to your rooms," I start. My head is still throbbing, and everything hurts, but I'm just glad to be in the tournament. "Clouse took me to Chen, who brought me down some stairs, to a bunch of dark tunnels. He brought me to a cell... Kai was in it." The others gasp.  
"Was.. IS Kai okay?" Jay asks.  
"Yeah.. He's in a coma. But this is where it gets weird." I breathe slowly. "He told me... that Kai's life is in my hands; that if I'm out of the tournament, he'll kill Kai..." I try to hold back my tears at the memory. I look to my brothers' faces. Cole looks seethingly mad, and Jay looks confused. Zane seems like he is trying to decipher something. "But Kai was awake. He was aware, I'm sure!" I say.  
"What makes you think that?" Cole asks.  
"Yeah, are you sure you weren't imagining it?" Jay asks, trying to reason.  
"No, guys, he said my name. Chen cut his arm, and he flinched slightly, I know it." I say desperately.  
"Okay..." Jay says, though he seems to not really believe me.  
"You know, guys, I've been wondering.. What does Chen have to gain from this tournament, why was he so desperate to get us here?" Cole asks. Zane looks to us.  
"According to mine and P.I.X.A.L's analysis, it seems like the most logical theory for this tournament is that Chen needs something from us... why else would he want this tournament, and be so determined to get everyone here that he uses the lives of our friends as blackmail."  
"But what could he want?" Jay asks. We all stay silent, thinking. Suddenly, it comes to me, and my eyes widen.  
"Our powers.." I whisper to myself. "Our powers!" I say louder, gaining the attention of the others.  
"That would make sense..." Zane says.  
"All contestants! Report to the Great Room at once!" Chen's voice booms through the speakers, effectively deafening us.  
"Well, I guess we'll have to finish this later. C'mon." I say, trying to stand up, with difficulty, grunting in pain. The others look at me with worry.  
"You shouldn't come, Lloyd, you have to rest." Zane says.  
"I'll be fine." I say through gritted teeth. Cole looks at me, doubtfully. Jay turns to look at him, but with an unreadable look. We all walk to the Great Room.

* * *

"Check the bracket for your competitors, fighters." Clouse says. We walk over to the crowded board, and I see that I, thankfully, am not competing today. Neither is Zane. But...  
"No!" Jay says. There, right in front of our eyes, lays the bracket, telling us that today, the fight will be brother against brother. Jay looks over to Cole.  
"This fight has been a long time coming." He says.  
"This should settle it." Cole says. They both glare at eachother.

~time skip to battle brought to you by raspberry flavored bleach~

* * *

Cole~

Lloyd has gone back to his room, with the aid of Zane. Zane has promised to come back and watch the fight, since there isn't anything we can do to stop it. I sit in my room in the opposite side of the arena as Jay, and think. I think about our rivalry over Nya, how stupid it really is. 'I don't even like Nya like that...' I think to myself. That's the whole reason I haven't been blowing this whole thing out of proportion. I don't want to fight Jay! That's actually the LAST thing I want to do. But it looks like I have no other choice.  
"Let the battle commence!" Chen's whiney voice announces, along with the cheesy music. The doors open, and I walk out, squinting in the bright light. When my eyes adjust, I see Jay looking right at me, with a fire in his eyes.  
"This is it." He yells, before lunging at me. I raise a wall of earth, wanting to delay the fight. I don't know if I can do this...  
Jay uses his electricity as propulsion, and flies over the wall. He shoots me with his electricity, and I fly back into the wall.  
"Ugh..." I groan, getting back to my feet. My anger flares, and I summon some rocks and send them to Jay, hitting him square in the chest, knocking him out of the air. My anger is instantly replaced by a burning guilt. I instinctively run to him to see if he's okay.  
"Are you okay?" I ask frantically. He just kicks me back.  
"You just want me to go soft. YOU JUST WANT ME TO BE TRICKED!" He yells.  
"I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT YOU!" I yell, my voice cracking with emotion. He falters.  
"You just want me out..." He says, uncertain.  
"No Jay..." I walk closer to him, and he lets me. "Maybe neither of us have to get out." I say.  
"How?" He asks.  
"Uhm... I have a plan. Attack me, but not hard." I think that maybe if neither of us win, then Chen'll call it a tie. Jay comes at me as if we were sparring. He throws a weak punch, which I easily block, then send up a slow roundhouse, which he dodges.  
"Boring! Clouse, spice this up!" I hear Chen yell. Jay looks at me with panic in his eyes, and the floor starts dropping out from under us. The Jade Blade sits untouched on top of the spire.  
"Ahh!" Jay yells as the floor drops out from under him. I lunge forward and grab his arm. He looks at me, panicking. "Cole! I'm sorry! If I had just asked you to leave Nya to me instead of getting mad, this never would've happened to us." He apologizes.  
"Jay... I... never loved Nya." I say through clamped teeth, holding his arm, trying to keep him from falling. He looks back up to me with his bright blue eyes, and a smile finds its way into my face, despite the circumstances. He reaches up with his other arm, and grabs my other outstretched hand. I pull him onto my little piece of safety. Despite the roar of the other contestants, and the angry tell of Chen, neither of us are really paying attention.  
"Cole..." We're pushed closer together by the disappearing tiles, so close that he's basically in my lap. "Neither did I..." He looks at me, with a smirk on his freckled face.  
"W-What?" I say, surprised.  
"M-maybe in the beginning... but I've decided that I couldn't love her anymore." He says, a sheen of sweat has formed on my forehead. We are on an almost 5 foot square of ground, surrounded by emptiness for at least 10 feet, with the next piece of floor only 3 feet wide.  
"Jay... you seemed so crazy about her.." I say. He just looks at me with those beautiful eyes, and I realize that the emptiness in my heart HAS been filled. Ever since I met him, I've felt more whole than I have since... the incident.  
"Not since I found my true potential. But I couldn't bring myself to let her down." We've had to stand up to fit in the now tiny piece of ground.  
"SOMEONE JUST TAKE THE BLADE ALREADY!" Chen yells at us. We are basically nose to nose, and I can feel his warm breath on my face.  
"Besides... I've fallen for someone else..." He says, before smirking, and pressing his lips to mine. My eyes widen, before closing gently, and I feel the kiss. Even with all of the pressure, even with everything that's on the line, I relax. His lips are soft; the softest ever. They fit to mine perfectly, and we move our lips in sync. I can hear that the crowd has silenced, even Chen has shut up. I never want this moment to end. He pulls away. "Cole, I love you." He says, before jumping backwards, out of my arms, and into the trapdoor hole.  
"JAY!" I yell, tears forming in my eyes, I lean over the hole, my arm outstretched. "I love you, too." I say, standing up. As soon as I stand, the holes close, and Jay is gone.  
"We have a winner!" Chen yells, oblivious to what is happening in the stands. People are yelling, especially my friends. I don't care. I'm just staring at the ground, right where Jay stood; where we kissed. "Master of Earth moves on!" He continues.  
"Cole!" Zane yells to me, running to me from across the arena. "Let's get back to Lloyd's room." He says gently. All I can do is nod because I'm completely in shock.

"Lloyd, we're back..." Zane says quietly, probably for my sake. Lloyd looks up with a smile, which melts off his face when he sees our expressions.  
"What happened... Where's Jay?" Lloyd asks. I can't take it. I drop to my knees in tears.  
"He's out..." I say between sobs. Zane kneels next to me, patting my back to give me comfort.  
"Lloyd... something happened. Cole, would you like to tell him?" I nod. I have to say it. I stand up, pulling myself together. I sit down on the bed next to Lloyd. Zane joins us. I take a deep breath, and it all comes out at once.  
"Jay and I had to fight eachother. We were fighting in the beginning, but then we teamed up. Chen obviously didn't like that, because the floor started dropping out from under us..." I look away, trying to compose myself; the tears have started building in the back of my eyes again.  
"Go on..." Lloyd says gently. I take another deep breath.  
"The floor dropped out from under Jay. I barely managed to grab his arm and pull him up onto my progressively smaller piece of floor. We started talking, and he was talking about how he didn't really like Nya anymore... at least not romantically." I close my eyes and sigh. "And then he kissed me." I say, a blush creeping onto my cheeks. I hear Lloyd gasp. "And then he jumped backwards, getting himself out, and leaving me to win." I finish.  
"Oh, Cole." Lloyd says. "I understand completely." I look to him. He has a pained expression on his face, but not from physical pain, from emotional. I decide not to press him. We've all gone through plenty of emotional trauma on this damn island.  
"Guys, our team cannot become divided further." Zane says.  
"Agreed. We've already lost two brothers. I refuse to lose another. And if our theory is true, Jay is okay, but his powers have already been taken. Kai is hopefully still okay." I say. At the mention of Kai, Lloyd's face turns gloomy.  
"We'll save them; don't worry." I tell him. Lloyd smiles sadly.  
"Yeah, we will." Lloyd says.

* * *

HOPE YOU LIKED! PEACE AND PIZZA MY LITTLE ALLIGATORS!


	8. Mind

~trigger warning for some stuff in this chapter. I don't personally agree with what is said at all.~

* * *

I want to move. My nose itches, I have to sneeze, I need to leave. But I can't. After being stuck here for months, I've almost grown accustomed to the constant hunger and thirst; the constant pain and sorrow.  
I've been lying here limply for so long, completely aware of everything they've been doing to me. Guards are outside my cell every minute; it's not safe to open my eyes, if I do, there's a chance of me being discovered. I can't sleep. All I can think about is my team... But mostly Lloyd.  
I've been thinking for days straight about every other scenario I could've used, or that could've defeated the Overlord. But once again, I was being selfish. When I went to sacrifice myself, I didn't think of the people it could've hurt; Lloyd could've defeated him again, or we could have made the tornado of creation. COULD have. But I didn't. I didn't, I didn't, I didn't. It's always something I can't do. First it was being able to grasp the fact that I wasn't the green ninja. Then, I wasn't able to save Lloyd and the fang blade in the volcano. And then I wasn't able to become golden in the digi-verse, leaving the Overlord more time to gain power.  
My mind has become my enemy, always pointing out my flaws, making me hopeless. But then I think about the good times; meeting Jay, Cole and Zane. Saving Lloyd. Retrieving the fang blades. Unlocking my true potential. Defeating the Overlord. Those were the good times that I want to remember. Then I focus specifically on Lloyd. Whenever I think about anything happy, my mind wanders to his face. His green eyes that always looked directly into my golden ones when we shared our pasts; when we shared our stories and pains. We never kept secrets from eachother. There were things that we kept from the rest of the team, but always shared between us. He understood me. My thoughts wander to just yesterday.  
 _'Kai!... What's wrong with him?'_ When he said that, I could hear the pieces of his soul coming back together, but then re-breaking. I wanted to hug him, tell him that I'm okay, and console him, just like I used to do.  
When Chen told Lloyd his plan, I wanted to scream. Not because I could potentially die, but because I'm not worth it. I'm not worth his life, or the others'. They all have so much more good to do in this cruel world. My time for fighting is over. Chen then cut my arm, bringing me some feeling; something I've been craving since I woke up. I'm sucked into my own little world once again.  
Then I hear it.  
"I'm hungry." I hear a voice say, faintly.  
"Me too. But our shift doesn't end for another hour and..." He pauses, probably to look at a watch. "43 minutes." He finishes.  
"Well what are we supposed to do? It's not like we can just leave..." The first guard says. No way. This could be it! Maybe I'll finally be able to open my eyes, and maybe escape.  
"Why can't we? He's in a coma, right? It's not like he can escape." The second voice replies.  
"True... Okay I'm sold! Let's go get some puffy pot-stickers or something." The first voice relents. Then I hear two pairs of feet walk away. I'm finally alone.  
I open my eyes, and quickly close them again. Even in a place this dim, my eyes are having trouble adjusting. It's been months since I opened them. I keep blinking, and my eyes finally adjust. I'm in a stone lined cell, with a heavy metal and wood door standing right in front of me. I'm chained to the wall, something I already knew. All I have to do is melt the metal of these constricting chains, an I'm free. I try to use my powers like I always have. I gather the feelings of warmth and focus them. But nothing happens. I try again and again, but still nothing. I start to panic. My powers haven't failed me since...  
"No..." I whisper. My powers have been taken. My fire is gone, once again. I can't escape. I can't save Lloyd. More things I'm unable to do to add to the ever growing list. Tears well up in the backs of my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. And it's a good thing I don't because I can already hear footsteps and angry voices.  
I quickly adjust myself so I look as I did before, and once again shut my eyes to listen.  
"What are you doing away from your posts?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING THE PRISONER!" I hear a deep voice yell. I guess those two guards didn't get away with leaving, after all.  
"We're s-sorry!" I hear one of the guards say.  
"You're lucky I have another job from Chen for you, or you'd be DEAD." He threatens. The footsteps are drawing nearer, and the voices louder. They're approaching my cell.  
"W-What's the job?" The other guard says, sounding terrified. And I know what terrified sounds like. My mind drifts to Lloyd as a child floating on that rock in the fire temple. Then I'm brought back to reality.  
"Move Kai to another cell. Chen doesn't want that Lloyd guy making any plans." He says. Shit. I guess that rules out Lloyd coming back for me... Oh well. I hear the heavy lock turn, the door open with a creak, and footsteps come to my side. I'm having trouble keeping my breathing steady, and trying not to move my eyes under the lids. The guards never come in unless they're feeding me. I feel the shackles being removed from my arms. When my left is released, I let it drop limply, even though it hurts when the back hits the rough stone with an audible 'thump'. The same goes for my other hand. They pick me up, and I stay limp in their arms. If it weren't for my training, I would've been caught by now. We leave the room.  
As they walk down the hall, I realize that this is the perfect time to escape. There are only two of them: I could overpower them easily, even if my joints are locked in place from weeks of rest. I'm about to leap into action, when one of the guards starts talking... about Lloyd.  
"Like Lloyd would ever be able to get down here again. Considering the beatdown he took, I'd be surprised if he could even stand up!" He laughs. Lloyd is hurt...  
"Yeah, that Karloff guy is sick! I almost wish he'd won that fight..." The second guard says. If I ever meet this Karloff guy, he's gonna be sorry he ever even LOOKED at my Lloyd. I can't get distracted though. This is it.  
I will myself to move. I backflip out of their arms, while kicking the guard on my left in the chin, sending him to the ground in a heap. The other guard is stunned, just standing in surprise.  
"You really didn't think I was ACTUALLY in a coma, did you?" I say, before kicking him back. The shock has worn off, and now he's running at me. 'Please work..' I pray to every god of every religion that my spinjitzu still works. I start to spin, and my familiar flaming tornado appears around me as I repeatedly punch and kick this guy at lightening speed. It's good to be back.  
The guard is down for the count. I run the opposite way they were trying to take me, so I hopefully won't end up where they wanted me. I'm smiling. I'm finally free! It feels so good to move again! It's been so long!  
I come to a fork in the tunnels. The one on the left leads to a staircase that leads downwards, and the other just keeps going on the same level. I decide that going deeper is a bad idea, so I go to the right. I run down the halls, feeling grateful that I'm free. I can see Lloyd... I can save him from this hell. I smile to myself.  
"Hey!" I stop running, and the smile disappears from my face. I've been caught. I turn around slowly, ready to take whatever punishment they give me. But when I turn, however, I don't see any guards. Confused, I turn in a circle, until I see it. Four guards are escorting someone down another passage. I hide at the corner, peeking around it just slightly in hopes to get a glimpse of who the victim is.  
"Get your hands off me!" I hear a higher voice say. A voice I haven't heard since the second battle with The Overlord.  
"Jay..." I whisper. I can see him now. His brownish-red hair is a mess, and he has bruises on his face. He's wearing a dingy orange jumpsuit, covered with motor oil. I clench my fists. How dare they treat my brother like that. Mess with me all you want, but don't touch my friends.  
"If that was Lloyd, I'd have killed all of those guards thirty seconds ago." I say, seething. The guards just continue pushing him around.  
"Whatever, fag. Get to your cell." The same guard that yelled at my captors says to Jay. I should run over there and torture his sorry ass.  
"Don't call me that!" He yells.  
"What, fag? Your little boyfriend isn't here to protect you anymore. Neither is the green ninja, or your little tin man. You have no one here." He laughs. "Even your little fiery friend left you. I guess you're just to gay to have friends!" The guard cackles, pushing Jay to the ground and kicking him in the ribs. "YOU!" _kick_ "HAVE!" _kick_ "NOTHING!" _crunch_. I really hope none of his ribs are cracked. I dig my fingernails into the heel of my palm, so deep that I can feel hot blood drops painting my fingers red. I have to look away, or else I'll run over there and blow my cover.  
"You done now? Because you've got plenty of work to do in the factory." The deep voice says again. All I hear is a faint whimper as a reply. Then, I hear only receding footsteps.  
New plan: as much as I want to see my Lloyd, I have to save Jay. I'll just find Lloyd, tell him the situation, then come back and save Jay. This is one thing I can't add to my list of can'ts. I have to save them. Lloyd's face somehow finds its way to my mind again.  
"I'll get back to you, even if it's the last thing I do... because I love you, Lloyd." I whisper a promise that is one I will keep; one that I have to keep. I will see them again, and I won't stop until I feel Lloyd's arms around me. Because ninja never quit.

* * *

How was this chapter? I thought chapter eight was the right place to put in a chapter of Kai's point of view. I kind of threw in the part with Jay, because I thought the chapter was running short. Any requests for a future chapter? Leave it in a review, and maybe I'll use it. PEACE AND PIZZA MY LITTLE ALLIGATORS!


	9. Headaches

Sorry I didn't update last weekend! I was on vacation with my family. Anyway, on with the chapter!

* * *

Lloyd~

I wake up the following morning to a pounding headache. The bright light from the sun can be seen through my eyelids, making it impossible to ignore. My entire body is still sore from my fight two days ago, but it's much better than it was, all thanks to Zane's help. I open my weary eyes, and squint in the bright light. I sit up, ignoring my aching limbs and head, and swing my legs over the edge of the bed.

"Ugh" I groan as I try to get out of the comfortable bed. Black spots dance in from of my eyes when I put all of my weight on my legs, but I stagger forward anyway. I stretch, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. Suddenly, there is a knock at the door. "Come in" I allow, walking over to the ornate dresser to find a shirt to cover my naked chest. The door creaks open.

"Hey, Greenie. I let you sleep in, but you should really come and watch the fight if you're feeling well enough." I hear Cole's sad voice say. We have both lost people we love to Chen.

"O-Okay…" I say. My voice is raspy. Cole picks up on that, and grabs me a cup of water from the night stand. He hands it to me, and I gulp it down greedily. He sits down in one of my chairs, and I join him in the chair across from him.

"How ya holding up?" He asks me. I shrug.

"Fine…" He reads through my lie like a book. I sigh. "Not so fine…" I say, looking down at my folded hands.

"Look… you know I… l-love Jay… as more than a brother… and that that's why I'm so upset that he's gone… but why are you more upset than we are about Kai?" He asks me. I'm done hiding it from everybody. I need to tell somebody, and Cole's about as trustworthy as they get.

"I-I…" I look away from his concerned gaze. I take a deep breath, but continue."I love Kai… as more than a brother, as more than a friend. I have since he saved my life as a kid, but I didn't know it yet. I always attributed the burning in my face and chest when he was around to his powers, but eventually…" I pause, and look back to Cole's face. He looks genuinely interested, and he seems to understand. "I-I realized that it wasn't happening to any of you when he was around. Soon, I realized that I had, a crush, but it soon grew into something more. It turned into a…lust I guess you could say…" Cole looks slightly surprised, but he still doesn't interrupt. "I can't stand to be apart from him…" I say. Once he's sure that I'm done, he stands up, and pulls me to my feet.

"Lloyd, none of us even suspected that of you… but we suspected that Kai had something for you…" Cole says.I look at him.

"Cole, are you okay? Kai has no interest in me. He is always flirting with random girls…" I say, tears welling up, knowing that my love couldn't possibly love me back. Cole smiles slightly.

"Things may surprise you when this is over." He says, and walks out the door and into the hallway, leaving me to follow him with my head still pounding and my limbs still aching.

* * *

Cole leads me into a room where all of the other contestants are gathered, watching the fight. I strain my neck to try and catch a glimpse of the fighters. Then I realize; I could be fighting today. My heart rate rises, and I start hyperventilating. I can't fight like this! Cole sits down next to Zane, who looks at me, and seems to know just what I'm panicking about.

"Don't worry, you're not fighting today." I breathe a breath of relief, and take my seat next to Cole. Now, I have a clear view of the fighters; Jason, master of sound, and that weird girl who kept looking at me weirdly on the ship and around the palace.

"Her name is Skylor, and she has the power of absorption, or amber. Don't let her touch you, she'll take your power and use it against you." Zane says. So that's why she was looking at me like that: she wants my powers! I can't let her get mine.

The fight seems to be going smoothly. There are pots scattered around the room, one of them probably holding a jade blade. Jacob is strumming his sitar, and using hit ears to try to find Skylor, who is staying still, trying to make as little noise as possible. She makes a sudden move, and breaks one of the pots: it hold nothing. She curses in annoyance. Before she can realize her mistake, Jacob has already hit her with a powerful sonic blast. She is sent flying back into the wall. She smirks, and runs up to him, easily dodging his sloppy attacks. She touches his arm lightly, before sending out a stolen sonic blast, making Jacob keel over in pain, blood coming from his probably blown eardrums. I feel bad for the guy; can't see or hear now.

"Wh-Why…" He whimpers. She just ignores him and runs around the room, breaking all the pots until she finds the blade. Once she finds it, she holds it up in victory, a sadistic smile on her face. Jason is still on the ground, in tears.

"Better luck next time." She yells into his bloody ear. She takes her finger and puts it in the blood, staring at the red liquid hungrily. "Oh right…" She stands up, and kicks him. "You can't hear me."She cackles and walks over to the pedestal, and places the Jade Blade onto it. Chen smiles, widely.

"WE HAVE A LOSER!" Chen announces like we missed the whole spectacle that happened in from of our eyes. The floor drops out beneath him, and he falls into the abyss, joining Jay and Karloff in whatever Chen did to them. We stand, and file out of the room, along with the rest of our competitors. Somehow, I end up next to the very girl I'm trying to avoid.

"Hey there." She says, trying to be friendly, but I can see the thirst for my power in her amber eyes.

"Hi." I say, looking down and trying to get away from her before she can touch me. I turn my head to see her reaching out for my arm, within centimeters of touching it. I quickly pull it out of the way, and push my way through the crowd. I can hear her angry screams as I catch up to Cole and Zane.

"She is definitely after me." I say, looking behind us for any sign of her, but I don't see her gaudy red hair anywhere.

"We have to keep you away from her… the only one strong enough to handle your power is you… no one else would be able to control it without turning evil." Zane says.

"Just another reason to find Jay and Kai and get off this rock." Cole says. Zane and I nod.

"Hopefully, that time will come sooner rather than later." I say, before we walk into my room, and shut the door behind us.

* * *

Did anyone else love the ending of "Skybound?!" It's now my third favorite season, behind seasons 3 and 2. Hope you liked the chapter! Don't forget to follow my instagram BakaLloyd! PEACE AND PIZZA!


	10. puddles

Embers CH. 9

I'm so glad you Gus are liking this story so far! I'm obsessed with writing it XD. No pop culture things are mine. I live for reviews, so if you could leave one, it would mean the world to me! Enough with the intro, everyone hates those. ON WITH THE STORY!

* * *

~Nya

"I don't know!" I say, stabbing my knife into the map, where it sticks out of the table, straight up. We've been trying to find the ninja for days, since they disappeared without a trace 5 days ago. Misako shoots me a dirty look.  
"That. Is. Mahogany!" She clips off every word. I honestly understand her irritation. She's stressed beyond belief because of Lloyd. I hear Sensei sigh.  
"What can we do? We've tried everything." He says. He tries to hide it, but I can see how torn up he is about this.  
"Is Sensei Garmadon still not talking?" I ask. Garmadon has been nearly non responsive since the ninja disappeared. Sensei looks down.  
"No. Not yet. But we must not become disgruntled." He says.  
"Until our eyes adjust, I guess we're only feeling in the darkness..." I sing quietly. I've been listening to that song non-stop since Kai died... no, not died. Disappeared. I sniffle.  
"Nya... I know this is hard for you..." Misako states out of the blue. I turn away from the stabbed map and face her. "I'm breaking down and I've only been without Lloyd for a few days... You've been without Kai for months..." She says. I smile, faintly.  
"I'm never really without him." I explain, turning back to the map, trying to look at it, but the lines don't connect in my brain, and I end up just thinking about him again, and staring unblinkingly at the paper. The sound of shoes hitting the hollow wooden floor brings me out of my trance.  
"Ahem..." A voice clears its throat, waiting to be recognized.  
"Brother!" Sensei says, happily. Garmadon's face remains emotionless despite his brother's obvious delight.  
"I have something to tell you..." He says. Anger flares in my chest. Did HE do this?  
"Did you have something to do with their disappearance?" I ask, suspicious. I know it's wrong to accuse him, but I'm desperate. It's wired into the human brain to finish puzzles with the most logical answers. And Garmadon's evil past fits the description perfectly. He looks at me in surprise.  
"Of course not! But..." He trails off. I fold my arms. "I know where they are." He finishes. We all have various faces, all of surprise.  
"Why didn't you'd say anything sooner?" Misako asks.  
"I... I couldn't..." He tails off. I sit down in one of the hard wooden chairs that sits around our gigantic dining table.  
"Then can you tell us now?" I ask, impatiently. I just want to see Kai and Jay... He nods slowly.  
"They were invited to Chen's tournament of elements." He says. I don't know the significance, but fear appears in Sensei's eyes.  
"What does that mean?" Misako asks. Sensei looks at her, gravely.  
"It means that they may already be dead." He says, sadly.

* * *

~Kai

I walk through this endless maze of tunnels, with Lloyd's face on my mind. I can't get his green eyes out of my mind. Those little gold flecks that stayed after he found his true potential... his bright smile... his light spatter of freckles across his nose... I shake my head. I can't afford to get distracted, even if it is from my muse.  
I rub my arms through my tattered and torn uniform, trying to get warm. I usually can't get cold, but since my elemental power was taken, I can't keep myself warm like I used to. The low rumble of my stomach interrupts the near silence of the claustrophobic caves. I don't know how long it's been since I had food and clean water. I've been drinking from the puddles, taking the coldest and cleanest that I can find. I can't get sick, but I also can't afford to dehydrate.  
"Fuck!" I hear a voice yell. I run back the way I came, as fast as my tight muscles can handle. I dive behind a large rock that was about 50 meters behind where I was. "How did he escape?" The voice says. For a second, I think that Jay may have escaped, but... "He was in a coma, and he suddenly just sprang up out of nowhere and ran?" The angry voice keeps yelling.  
"Y-yes..." The scared voice of one of my former guards says. I hear a loud 'smack' and know that he has been hit hard. I can also hear quiet whimpering. I wonder what happened to the other guard...  
"What are you doing, shitface?! GO FIND HIM!" The angry voice yells.  
"Y-yes sir." The guard's shaky voice says. I hear footsteps coming my way. I retreat farther into the shadow of the Boulder, praying to the First Spinjitzu Master that I won't be seen. My prayers are answered when the now injured guard walks past without even blinking in my direction.  
Once I can't hear his footsteps anymore, I crawl out from my hiding space and go the way he came from.  
After walking for another good 15 minutes, I come across a fork in the tunnels, and at the end of the tunnel in front of me is a heavy metal door. I walk up to it cautiously, and look through the barred window. Inside looks to be a factory making... noodles?  
I an see guards standing and palling around, or hitting the other workers. Upon closer inspection, one of the workers is Jay. He looks to have another big bruise on his face: a newer one. I look behind me, just to make sure that there are no guards coming. When I turn back, I see Jay looking longingly at me... or the door probably. He hasn't seen me, I'm sure.  
He looks up, and his eyes widen when they reach mine. He casually holds his hands out so I can see them, and to the guards it looks like he's just stretching his wrists. But he's really doing sign language.  
'Get Lloyd, Cole and Zane and come back for me. I'm no use to you right now.' He says. I nod to show that I understand, and then take off in the opposite direction. I smile despite my morals; I have finally seen another of my brothers, and almost directly communicated with them. It feels good, after so long.  
As I run down the infinite halls, I finally grasp my reality. I could actually get out of here. My thoughts drug back to Lloyd, but this time his voice.  
"I love you." Lloyd says in my head.  
"I love you too." I whisper. "We'll be together soon."

* * *

Hope you liked! Please review 3  
PEACE AND PIZZA MY LITTLE ALLIGATORS!


	11. flashback

Hey guys! I know that the last chapter wasn't very action packed, but this one is. It doesn't really advance the plot, but it does give some information on what Cole was talking to Jay about a few chapters ago *wink wink*. ENJOY!

* * *

 _~Flashback to 7 year old Cole~_

"Mom!" Little Cole laughs with glee, his black hair shining in the evening light. His mother, Lydia, walks out the front door, smiling at her little boy's antics while she closes the door behind her. "Let's race! First one to the park wins!" He shouts, starting to sprint across the cold earth. Lydia runs up behind him, and picks him up at the waist, laughing.

"Sorry, sweetie! We have to go food shopping before daddy gets home from practice." She explains to the now grumpy boy who is now standing on the ground. He crosses his arms and stamps his foot.

"But I don't wanna go shopping! I wanna play!" He complains, not understanding why they need to go shopping so late. Lydia just sighs. She knows how much Cole hates being inside. He spends as much time as possible being outside, usually just sitting in the dirt and grass, building sculptures out of rocks.

"If you get in the car, I'll make sure daddy doesn't make you practice tonight." She smirks as he runs to the car, buckling himself in. Lydia climbs into the driver's seat in the dwindling light. She starts the car, and pulls out of the driveway, to get to the local supermarket

 _~Time skip brought to you by apple flavored bleach~_

"Cole, can you please slow down? Help mommy with the groceries." Lydia pleads her rambunctious son, who is running around the sidewalk. She is pushing the metal cart filled to the brim with plastic bags containing enough food for weeks. Cole obeys and runs back to his mom, and hangs onto the cart as she pushes it. They reach the car. And begin to pile the bags into the car.

Once finished, they climb into the car, Lydia in the front, and Cole in the back. "Buckle your seatbelt." Lydia reminds Cole.

"Yeah, mom." Cole sassily rolls his eyes, but obeys.

They pull out of the market parking lot, and begin the drive home in the dark. An icy rain has begun to fall, so she slows down to stay safe.

"So, what should we make for dinner, tonight?" She asks him, even though she already knows what he's going to say.

"CAKE!" He yells excitedly. Lydia laughs, closing her eyes. She opens them quickly. Her windshield wipers are going at top speed to fight off the icy rain.

Suddenly, the car swerves when it hits a spot of ice on the pavement. Lydia turns the wheel to try to regain control, but it's no use. She closes her eyes and waits for some sort of impact.

"Ahhhhh!" Cole screams, fearing for his and his mother's lives. Soon, there is a huge jolt, followed by the car alarm, and the smell of gasoline. Cole unbuckles his seat belt to check on his struggling mother. She has tears in her eyes and blood blooming from a gash in her forehead, made from her head hitting the windshield.

"Cole!" She says through gritted teeth. "You have to get out of the car. I-I'm stuck under the air bag. I smell gas."

"N-No! I'll get you out!" Cole says, tears in his eyes as he hopelessly tugs at his mother's shoulder.

"LISTEN TO ME! YOU ALWAYS LISTEN TO ME! DON'T STOP NOW!" She screams at him. The smell of gasoline increases. Cole scurries through the door in tears. He stands in the rain by the window as Lydia struggles to undo her seatbelt. Cole looks down the road, and sees headlights coming his way. But not fast enough. Suddenly, the car explodes, and young Cole is blown backwards. He lands on his back, the air getting knocked out of him, and pieces of glass becoming buried in his chest.

The car that was coming arrives moments later, and seeing the scene in front of her, she quickly calls 9-1-1.

" _911, what's your emergency?"_ The operator asks the woman.

"There's been a car explosion on route 368 east of Ninjago city…" She explains the rest.

 _"Okay, m'am. I have dispatched the emergency services. Please remain calm. Stay on the line"_

"O-okay" The woman stutters, fearfully. Fire is blooming from the car, smoke filling the sky. She looks on the ground in front of the car, and notices Cole. She gasps, and runs to his side, picking up his bloody body and taking him to her car. She peels up his shirt and gasps at all the glass pieces buried in his chest.

 _"What happened?"_ The dispatcher asks her,

"There's a little boy… He was outside the vehicle and he has glass all over his chest and stomach. He's bleeding a lot."

 _"Okay. The ambulance should be there in about a minute. Can I ask your name?"_ The dispatcher asks.

"Misako." The brown haired woman says. Cole is staring unblinkingly at the ceiling of the car. His hand is twitching. The siren of the ambulance is loud and clear as it pulls up to the frightening scene, followed soon by a fire truck and police cars.

 _"The ambulance is there, now. I'm going to let you go, okay?"_ The dispatcher says, gently.

"O-Okay." Misako replies, then ends the call. The first responders have approached her car, are now asking her questions, which she answer to the best of her ability. One puts Cole on a gurney and pushes him to the ambulance, lifting him in, and closing the doors. A firefighter runs up the first responder still questioning Misako.

"There was a woman still inside. We pulled out the body. It's burned pretty badly." He says. She can't understand what comes out of the man's mouth next, because she has already jumped back into her car, and started the engine. She can't handle what's happening. It reminds her of leaving her own son. She'd answered all of their questions; she's done.

~Time skip brought to you by blue raspberry flavored bleach~

At the hospital, the doctors take off Cole's bandages, revealing dozens of scars, ranging in size. Cole doesn't care. He wants his mother. He doesn't cry, or scream, or even gasp. He doesn't react to his father's hand on his shoulder. He just stares blankly at the wall.

A few days later, the doctors allow him to go home. The second he arrives, he jumps out of the car, runs from his father, and sits in the back yard. He slams his fist into the ground, and is startled when small spires of rocks rise around him. His father walks out of the house to his side, not noticing the small rock spikes. He puts his hand on Cole's back.

"You'll be okay, son. We'll be okay." He says. Cole just nods. He can't trust his voice.

* * *

PEACE AND PIZZA MY LITTLE ALLIGATORS!


	12. Thunderblade

Hey guys! Sorry for the late update! I spent the night at a friend's house and we stayed up until 4am so I was sleeping all day XD ANYWAY, ON WITH THE STORY!

* * *

~Lloyd

I wake up, groggily, but feeling even better than I have in the past few days. The pounding in my head is now just a dull throb, and I can get onto my feet without feeling dizzy or seeing black spots. I stand on the plush carpet and stretch my tight muscles, and walk over to the dresser. I take off my green pajama pants, and just take a moment to look at myself in the mirror in my underwear. This fighting on the island has actually done me SOME good. I've regained the muscle I lost while I was mourning Kai, and then some. My stomach has a defined six pack that I feel a small swell of pride at. The half smile I've gained melts off my face, and I shake my head. Look at me, being superficial at a time like this. I pull on my elemental robes, and wrap my fists tightly. I look back into my mirror, and see my usual pale blonde hair, and set jaw… but my eyes…

I lean closer to the mirror, unable to believe what I'm seeing. My eyes are turning gold. Like, a solid gold. The usual green has turned neon, but is receding towards the darknessof my pupil from the gold pushing it back. I jump away from the mirror, a weird feeling taking over me. It feels… good. I feel warmth… and then…

"Agh!" I yelp, the warmth turning to ice, and I clutch my hand over my heart and fall to the floor. I don't know what's happening. Everything in my body feels like it's being frost bitten, the feeling of burning cold coursing through every cell. Suddenly, my vision goes black.

 _"Lloyd? Lloyd? Where are you?"_ A vision of Kai appears in front of me. His eyes are frantic, and his face is bloody, partially hidden by a shadow. His voice sounds far away, and the vision is already getting blurry.

 _"I'm here! Kai, don't leave… I've missed you! Where are you?"_ But I get the feeling he can't hear me, because his face has faded, and all I can see is a faint outline of my beautiful fire boy. All I catch is the last thing he says.

 _"I'm coming, Lloyd. I'm coming for all of you."_ I try to reach for him, but it's no use; He's already gone, and the darkness is brightening. The intense pain is fading quickly. I hear a voice… but not the voice I was hoping to hear.

* * *

"Lloyd?" A disembodied voice says. The pain is gone, and I open my eyes to the ceiling of my tournament room. The face of a familiar black ninja invades my view soon after I open my eyes. I can see the obvious relief on his face. That relief turns to rage. He pulls me to my feet, which I don't even try to resist. "Stop getting hurt!" He says, angrily, punching me in the arm. I rub the spot and laugh, even though I'm as upset as ever.

"I won't be able to do that if you keep punching me." I say, trying to keep the mood light. There's no way I can share what just happened… not until later.

"Heh… yeah…" Cole says, scratching the back of his neck. "Okay, well, Chen is giving us a new challenge… today's your fight." Cole says. I sigh. I knew I wouldn't get too much time to recover.

"Okay. Let's go." I say, turning to walk out the door. Cole grabs my arm, suddenly. I turn around in annoyance. "What?" I ask, before I see his wide eyed expression.

"Dude… what's up with your eyes?" He asks in wonder. I run to the mirror once again, and see that the gold is nearly gone, just the usual random flecks that I've had since I unlocked my full potential, but the emerald green is brighter than ever.

"I… don't…" I look down."I'll tell you and Zane later, okay?" I tell him. I turn again and walk out the door.

"If there even is a later for you…" He says quietly. I start to stress. I don't think I was supposed to hear that.

* * *

"Attenetion… ATTENTION!" Chen yells into his megaphone, deafening the remaining contestants. Everyone quiets down, and prepares to hear the fight of the day. "Today…" He starts "will be a … different type of battle." He exclaims, his eyes shining in evil glee as he claps his hands, and his Kabuki come out of a door, each holding a pair of rollerblades. The servants each kneel in front of every competitor, including me, and fasten them onto our feet. I look around the room to see various faces of distaste, except for Zane, who seems relatively happy about the arrangement. I look to Cole, who has a dorky smile on his face, yet tears in his eyes, I skate over to him.

"What's up?" I whisper to him. He smiles and shakes his head, looking down.

"Jay told me once that he and his mom won the mother-son skate-off when he was a kid." He laughs. I force a small smile.

"Kai once told me, when I was still a child, that he couldn't skate for his life." I tell him. Clouse's voice brings me out of my remembrance.

"Today, the fighters will be Camille, master of Form, versus Lloyd, master of Energy." He states. "If you will all follow me to the arena?" He asks us, before turning on his heel and walking out the door, silently inviting us to join him. We follow him through the maze of halls and doors, before finally entering a… skating arena? Everyone is looking around, amazed at the weirdness of it all. Before we know it, Chen has already made yet another grand entrance, this time on a pair of roller-skates, scooting along with fireworks erupting behind him. I roll my eyes.

"Welcome to thunderblade! My favorite event!" He claps giddily. "I even hold the record! 100 laps! Isn't that right, Clouse?" Chen asks Clouse, who looks, as usual, bored.

"Yes, you were born with skates on, Master." He replies. Chen just does is psychotic giggle and continues on.

"The rules are, there are no rules! The fighter with the most laps completed by the time the buzzer sounds, wins!" He throws both Camille and I Jade Blades. "To get credit for completing a lap, you must be holding your Jade Blade."

"Wait, if they're the only ones fighting, why are all of us wearing skates?" Skylor asks. I shiver. Ugh. Skylor.

"Ahhh, you will be able to choose your teams. You can help whoever you want. Grab your helmets, and let's go!" I grab a green helmet, along with Zane and Cole. The rest of the fighters take orange and purple helmets.

"Well this should be fun." I mutter, putting the helmet over my messy hair. I stand at the starting line, my neon eyes fixed on the track. Zane skates up next to me. "What's up?' I ask, turning to him.

"Maybe you should just let Camille win. She'll probably beat you anyway." Zane says. My mouth hangs open.

"B-But…" I stutter, looking at his slightly pleased face. I feel a tap on my shoulder, and see none other than Cole and… Zane?

"Good luck brother." The other Zane says with a grim smile. I turn to the first Zane, only to see Camille standing in his place. She smirks.

"Watch your back." She says sassily. Cole walks up to me and whispers in my ear.

"Don't worry, we'll do that for you. You just focus on putting that little identity whore in her place." He says, before joining the other skaters in line behind Camille and I.

"Good luck, fighters! But mostly Camille because we all want the Green Ninja out." Chen says. I don't even care.

3.

2.

1.

GO!

And the race starts.

* * *

The race goes by in a blur of punching and powers, and the feeling of something powerful inside me just itching to get out. Suddenly, Camille and I are tied, with ten seconds left, racing towards the finish line. I try to push past her, but she just regains her balance.

7 seconds left.

I look to my side again, and suddenly, it's not Camille standing there, but Kai. My eyes widen, and I nearly lose my balance. I turn forward and screw my eyes shut, clearing my head.

 _"It's just a trick"_ I think to myself. Kai- I mean Camille gets closer, close enough to whisper in my ear.

"Just give up. You'll just end up with him, in the fiery pits of hell. That's where you both came from isn't it?" She whispers. And then, I feel nothing. All I see is golden light. Something inside me just... snaps. Just as soon as the light comes, it's gone and I find myself already over the finish line. Camille is lying about a yard from the finish line, seemingly unconscious. The rest of the fighters have stopped, and are just staring at me in awe. Finally, Cole skates up to me.

"What happened? I ask him, my voice just above a whisper."

"Your golden power… I thought it was gone…" He says. I just stop. How could I possibly still have my golden power? I gave it away…

"WE HAVE A LOSER!" Chen declares, gesturing to… me?

"Wait, what?" A guy, I think his name is Neuro, exclaims.

"Lloyd misused his power. THAT IS A RULE VIOLATION!" Chen yells. Now I KNOW he's out to get me.

"That's not fair!" Griffin says.

"Life's not fair, deal with it." Chen shrugs. That is the understatement of the century.

"If Lloyd's out, the I'm out, too." The Paleman says. I'm surprised. I didn't think anyone would… stand up for me… except Zane and Cole, of course.

"Me too!" Creepy Skylor says. I can see her gravitating towards me. I slink a it closer to Cole and Zane. The rest of the competitors chime in, agreeing.

"What kind of tournament would this be if you lost all of your fighters?" Cole asks, smugly, folding his arms over his chest.

Clouse whispers something into Chen's ear. He sighs unhappily.

"F-F-F-Fine!" He struggles out. I breathe a sigh of relief. I can still save Kai. "Master of Energy moves on." The unconscious form of Camille drops down a trapdoor, noiselessly. I cringe.

* * *

"I wish I had known I had my Golden Power still…" I say as we walk to my room.

"Yeah…" Zane says. Cole walks in first, and sits on my bed.

"Don't think that I've forgotten what happened earlier. Now spill. What happened to you?" Cole asks. I sit down in one of the plush chairs; the one Jay sat in when I was unconscious. I feel something sharp against my leg. I bend down, and pull it out of the chair. It's a small silver knife.

"Hey, guys, look what I found!" I exclaim.

"Stop avoiding the subject, Llo-" He stops when he looks up and sees the small object, glistening gin the LEDs of my room. "That's Jay's…" He whispers. I smile and toss it to him. He catches it, and twists it in his fingers, examining it with a smile on his face, yet tears in his eyes.

"Then you better keep it safe for him." I tell him, gently. Zane nods in consent. Cole puts it in his pocket, and clears his throat.

"So about this morning…" He says. And everything starts pouring out.

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Who likes? I wasn't going to post this weekend, but I couldn't stand to let you guys down. Once I started writing, everything just started coming together! I didn't know how I could possibly write out the thunderblade, so I kind of just bounced around it. And how was that for a weird twist, Lloyd still has his Golden Power*Gasp* lol. PEACE AND PIZZA MY LITTLE ALLIGATORS!


	13. Together

Kai~

I wake from my dream, sweating and hyperventilating. It felt... so real. I could see him, his freckled face, his golden white hair. I remember it so clearly...

 _"Lloyd? Lloyd? Where are you?"_ I yelled. I could just feel him. His strong presence, belonging to no one else.

 _"I'm here! Kai, don't leave... I've missed you! Where are you?"_ His frazzled face faded in and out of clarity. But it was getting blurry fast. I tried to get in one last message... if that dream even meant anything.

 _"I'm coming, Lloyd. I'm coming for all of you."_ I had said, before waking up. It had been so vivid, the panic on his face. But his eyes were... gold. The only other time his eyes have turned gold was when he unlocked his full potential. All of our eyes perminantly changed to the color of our elements. Mine used to be hazel. Now they're ruby red. But Lloyd's eyes were always green, though they turned brighter when the golden weapons chose him. When he became the golden master, his eyes lost the gold, except for a few flecks. I don't know what happened, but it must have been something big.

"I'm almost there." I whisper to myself. The caves have gotten hotter, meaning that I must be getting closer to the surface. After I get back to Cole, Zane and Lloyd, we have to save Jay, and then I can finally go home. When I see Lloyd, I'm telling him everything. I get up, and wipe the sleep from my eyes. This is the day. I'm getting out of here

I start trekking through the identical passages, which are definitely sloping upwards by now. The patched rock walls now are mostly covered with a thick green moss.

I turn a corner, and there it is. I can see a patch of light. I run as fast as I've ever run, the humid air rippling over my skin, feeling almost like water. The light gets closer and closer, and finally, I'm out.

I almost scream in happiness. After months of being in the dark underground, I can finally feel the sun on my face. The bright green leaves throw me for a loop, along with the smell of salt water. I must be on a tropical island. I can hear the call of seagulls.

I turn around and am face to face with a huge wall. They must be in there. I look around me to make sure there are no guards, and when I'm satisfied that there's no one around, I start scaling the wall. The wet moss falls apart under my hands, and I nearly fall twice. When I reach the top, I can't help but be impressed.

In front of me, is a beautiful red and purple palace. It's artfully designed, with intricate carvings and statues. Even though it belongs to Chen and Clouse, it's still impressive.

I jump down to the other side of the wall, and run into the shadow of the palace. I can hear shouts coming from the other side of the wall. I creep over to the nearest window, and tears of happiness form in my eyes. There, in the stands, sit my friends, watching a very impressive fight between two skilled martial artists.

Cole and Zane look fine, no major bruises, but it's a different story for Lloyd. He has a massive black and blue on his temple, and his eyes look slightly sunken in, as if...

My eyes widen.

As if he had a vision.

What if it wasn't just a dream? What if we were really communicating? That would mean.. that would mean that he knows that I'm coming.

I run around the huge building, looking for a door. I find a side entrance, and find it unlocked. Strange, but I won't complain.

The door opens to a long hallway, floored with plush red and gold carpet, the walls covered with relics. I see a fearsome white and purple sword, and a painting of a bunch of snakes that look like Pythor. Also on the wall is a pink ninja suit. It looks like Zane's. I shake my head, and keep walking. I try to picture the route I could use to get back to the room I saw Lloyd in.

I keep walking until I hear voices. I hide behind a pillar as a group of guards walks past, laughing loudly. As soon as I can't hear their laughs again, I bolt off again. Through the mazes of halls I go.

After another ten minutes of walking, I finally hear voices again. These sound rowdy. They must be the fighters, leaving the arena.I look at them from around the corner, studying faces. I see a guy with sunglasses on, one with grey and white hair, and then I see

"Cole!" I whisper shout to the ink haired ninja. He slows his pace, and looks around. I frantically wave at him, trying to get his attention. When his phantom quartz eyes find mine, they widen. He reaches behind him and grabs someone's arm. I see it to be Zane. His icy blue eyes see me, and they light up instantly.

They casually walk over to me, and round the corner to my hiding place.

"KAI!" They both whisper shout, hugging me tight. I'm crying tears of joy, an my arms are wrapped around their necks.

"I missed you so much!" I say to them, pulling out of the hug, and looking at their glowing faces. But the smile melts off of my face. "Where's Lloyd?" I ask.

"He left the arena early. He's in his room." Zane says. I release a breath of relief, the smile coming back to my face.

"We'll take you. Hopefully none of Chen's guards are around. I have to know what happened to you. You look horrible." Cole says. We start walking, Cole and I hanging back from Zane. "Lloyd has been through a lot without you. You coming back could either make or break him." He whispers to me. I nod.

We reach a green and gold door, and Zane and Cole walk in.

"Stay outside. We'll surprise him." Cole says, pushing me away from the door. I grunt in disapproval, but stay back. Cole turns, and walks back in the door, and closes it. I put my ear up against it.

"Hey Lloyd, Zane and I found something we think will make you happy." I hear Zane say.

"What is it?" A voice says. My breath hitches in my throat. It's HIS voice. I hear footsteps approach the door, and back away. This is it.

The door opens.

I close my eyes

I take a breath

When I open them, all that pain was worth it.

His big, emerald eyes are wide, as brimmed with tears. I walk into the room, and close the door behind me.

"Hey, Lloyd." Is all I can say as my voice cracks. He just inhales sharply, and before I know what's happening, his lips are on mine.

I can hear Cole and Zane's gasps, but I could care less about them as I wrap my arms around him. His lips are soft and warm, and I can feel the energy coursing from his lips to mine. I break away, my hand on the side of his face. I break out in laughs.

"I've missed you so much!" I cry, as his hand buries itself in my messy hair.

"I've missed you, too." He says. I let go of him, not wanting to, but needing to.

"We'll catch up later... but is there any chance you could get me some food and water? I haven't eaten in days. I'll also need a shower..." I say, embarrassed. Lloyd's eyes are locked on mine, and I can't bring them away. Our kiss is still fresh on my mind.

"Yeah. Zane and I'll go get you some food, and you can shower in Lloyd's bathroom. We'll talk more about what happened when you're better." Cole says, Zane following him out of the room. Lloyd flops down on his bed, a dorky smile on his face. I smirk, and walk into the bathroom, my mind racing, and my heart at ease, finally.

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Hope you liked! PEACE AND PIZZA MY LITTLE ALLIGATORS!


	14. READ

Hey guys! I've been thinking really hard on this, but I've decided that chapter 13 is the end of Embers. I feel like it was a good place to stop,I mean, it was the climax, and not much would've been able to happen after that. I also wanted to end it because school is starting, and I won't have the time to update. But, If it's requested, I may make a sequel about what happens after this, but it would not be updated much

I am starting a new story that I've been obsessed with writing for about three months now; Alone. This is a bruiseshipping story, and it's very AU. I hope you give it a chance, and I'm way too excited about it.

ANYWAY, PEACE AND PIZZA MY LITTLE ALLIGATORS!


	15. Sparks

Saving Kai was only half the battle. Now comes the next chapter: Jay. Cole, Zane, Lloyd, and Kai have to find a way to save their brother. But there's another problem; Kai. How will the ninja keep him from Chen? Who will get eliminated next? How will Chen's master plan work out? I guess when circuits are cut, the only way to find out the truth is to discover it for yourself. Are you brave enough?

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teaser


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